Chris Stearns, right, at a campaign event. COURTESY PHOTO, Chris Stearns

Chris Stearns, right, at a campaign event. COURTESY PHOTO, Chris Stearns

Stearns wins 47th District House primary over 4 others

Tight race for second spot; Entenman captures other House seat primary

Auburn Democrat Chris Stearns won the Aug. 2 primary for the 47th Legislative District House Position 2 seat, but the outcome of which candidate will be his opponent in November remained too close to call.

Stearns, an Auburn City Council member, received 36.01% (5,953 votes) to easily lead the race against four other candidates, according to results released Aug. 2 by King County Elections. Stearns will earn one of the two spots on the Nov. 8 ballot.

The second candidate to advance will come from among Democrat Shukri Olow at 17.96% (2,969 votes); Republican Barry Knowles at 17.89% (2,958 votes); Republican Ted Cooke at 14.13% (2,336 votes) or Republican Carmen Goers at 13.88% (2,295 votes).

Elections officials will release updated results weekdays through Aug. 16 when the results are finalized.

The winner on the Nov. 8 ballot will replace state Rep. Pat Sullivan, D-Covington, who decided not to run again after 18 years in Olympia.

The Republican Party put a lot of money behind Goers.

Goers has raised $198,540 and spent $146,840, according to the state Public Disclosure Commission. Goers has received nearly $60,000 from the Olympia-based House Republican Organizational Committee. Her largest expenditures are more than $110,000 to the Minnick Group for Comcast cable TV advertising, streaming TV ads, digital ads and numerous mailers. Minnick Group is a Mason, Washington-based company (also used by Senate candidate Bill Boyce) that describes itself as a nonpartisan campaign consulting company.

Knowles has raised $6,656 and spent $317.94. Cooke has raised $2,605 and spent $1,188.

Olow has raised $87,682 and spent $61,701. Her largest expenses are $5,000 or less. Stearns has raised $62,792 and spent $39,914, with his largest expenditure $7,537 to Publisher’s Mailing Service in Seattle for mailers. Numerous $1,000 contributors are the largest donations to Olow and Stearns.

The Seattle Times endorsed Goers.

Entenman wins primary

State Rep. Debra Enteman, D-Kent, received 56.28% (9,248 votes) in her bid for reelection to the 47th Legislative District House Position 1 seat.

Entenman will face Republican challenger Kyle Lyebyedyev on the Nov. 8 ballot. Lyebyedyev received 29.71% (4,883 votes) to earn the second spot and eliminate Republican Jessie Ramsey, who took third with 13.80% (2,267 votes).

Entenman defeated Lyebyedyev in 2020 and incumbent Mark Hargrove, R-Covington, in 2018.

Lyebyedyev has raised $62,661 and spent $33,120, with $20,000 from the House Republican Organizational Committee as the largest donation. His largest expenditure is $12,750 to Mercer Island-based Sermo Digitial for TV ads on several stations.

Entenman has raised $40,356 and spent $28,566, with $1,000 donations as the largest. Her largest expenditure is $5,555 to campaign manager Sai Samineni, of Kent. Ramsey has raised $765.

The Seattle Times endorsed Entenman.


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Shukri Olow. COURTESY PHOTO, Shukri Olow

Shukri Olow. COURTESY PHOTO, Shukri Olow

Carmen Goers. COURTESY PHOTO, Carmen Goers

Carmen Goers. COURTESY PHOTO, Carmen Goers

Debra Entenman.

Debra Entenman.

Kyle Lyebyedyev

Kyle Lyebyedyev

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